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bozoc

Second Class Petty Officers
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Everything posted by bozoc

  1. I asked my private cardiologist which part(s) of my heart condition is ischemic heart disease. He said, "It all is. You had a clogged artery which caused your heart attack. Your heart attack caused damage to your heart muscle and irregular growth of your heart which caused one of your valves to no longer fit. You had surgery to repair that valve. You also have congestive heart failure. Everything started with and was caused by your initial artery blockage". I filed my claim back in October. My cardiologist gave me some notes to send in with my claim that basically said the above in a detailed manner. I also signed the forms to let them have access to my cardiologist's and heart surgeon's records. It will be interesting to see how the VA looks at all of this. I am already paid at the 100% rate so my main concern is just to get service connection because the old ticker may do me in before I reach the DIC requirement of 10 years.
  2. I have been on Klonopin for about a year. It has really helped cut down on anxiety attacks and the severity of those I still have. It also helps me sleep. I take it twice a day and it made me groggy in the mornings at first but that stopped after a few weeks. I currently have no side effects that I'm aware of. Of everything I have to take I think Klonopin is the most effective. I carry xanax with me at all times but don't take one unless I absolutely have to.
  3. When I was in Vietnam in '69 (Army) they were sending a few NCO's to a 3 week sniper school in country. I know because they asked me to go and I told them I felt I could be of more use as a squad leader in an infantry platoon. It was voluntary. They took another guy from our company and I never saw him again. I think they were working in 3 man teams. I'm sure today's sniper schools are more sophisticated and intense than the 3 week course in Vietnam.
  4. There is a special place reserved in Hell for those that would harass a disabled vet. Do as "vaf" suggests and keep your cool. You have received some good advice here on how to handle this situation. I have a bad case of PTSD and would have already taken a baseball bat to somebody which is exactly the wrong thing to do. I can reason until I lose my temper and then anything goes. I am glad you are not as ignorant as I am. B)
  5. Thanks LarryJ. Those are all good points. I did have my wife do a statement but like you said I don't know how much weight that will carry. My VSO suggested I find at least one of the doctors who treated me for headaches after leaving the service. Even though medical records will not exist at this late date, a written letter from a treating physician might help. One of them is a family friend. I am going to pursue that and see where it goes. If the IU thing is approved, the headaches issue becomes much less important. It is more or less the principle of the thing to me. I am already 80% with one issue (PTSD) being at 70%.
  6. Thanks for all your suggestions Berta. I appreciate it. I think we came pretty close to doing as you suggested. We pointed to specific language, attached old forms that proved they got the information the first time around and used some fairly strong language. As far as TBI, I did not file a claim for that. I have done some research on it lately and I believe I likely have that sort of injury. I have quite a few of the symptoms. I do know I have had headaches since the day I was wounded and had maybe two or three in my life prior to that. My problem is the time lapse is now 39 years. I may go see a private doctor to evaluate me for TBI. I saw a couple of different private doctors over the years after I returned home and was prescribed pain killers. I found that aspirin, excedrin, bufferin, etc. worked just as well if I took enough of them and didn't have the side effects of the prescription pain killers. I still take them daily (9-12 per day) and have to continually switch around as taking the same one all the time eventually becomes ineffective. Over the years though I have developed a bad case of acid reflux which is probably due to the excessive amounts of aspirin, etc. I take Nexium for that. In Texas the doctors are only required to keep records for 5 years so those old treatment records are long gone. I was young and dumb and had no idea at that time those records might be of value to me some day. The VA will not take my word that I recieved treatment between the time I got home and the time I filed the claim. All I have going for me as far as the headaches is the existing shrapnel, my old service records showing hospitalization for an infection and headaches immediately after being wounded, and my word that I have seen doctors in the past.
  7. John, I agree. I think they are just hoping I will go away. They are badly mistaken. I won't say my application for IU is iron clad but it is close. The Va's own C&P doc that did my exam for PTSD stated in his exam write-up, "The veteran has lost the ability to work", and SSA awarded disability within 10 weeks of application using VA medical data. I never even saw a SSA doctor.
  8. Thanks for the advice vaf. What you suggested, the vso and I have done. We resubmitted the evidence and highlighted the important parts. We also showed they made the decision by not using all of the evidence which they had, but denied having. Apparently the parish representatives in La. receive information back from the VARO in New Orleans showing they received whatever the parish rep submits. Thank goodness the parish rep (vso) was able to show the VARO they were mistaken as to the evidence they should have had on hand.
  9. On May 9, 2008 I received a favorable decision granting 70% for PTSD and 10% for residual of shrapnel wounds (70% by va math). The letter said the issue of compensation for headaches secondary to shrapnel wounds was deferred and Individual Unemployability was implied but deferred pending further information.They said they needed me to fill out form 8940 for I.U. My VSO and I sent in form 8940 on June 6th and also a letter from SSA saying I was disabled on July 1, 2008 retroactive to July 1, 2007. The SSA disability was based solely on service connected issues. The SSA information was sent to the VARO in New Orleans on July 24, 2008. I had a C&P for the headaches on July 1st, 2008. In January of this year they had found 8 pieces of shrapnel in my head left over from 1969. The examiner in July stated that it was less than 50/50 that my headaches were caused by the shrapnel residuals."There is no found objective evidence that the headaches were present immediately after the injury". Therefore the headache claim was denied. They also denied the I.U. because "they did not receive a form 8940". The denials for the headaches and I.U. were mailed to me on September 15th . The VSO has a copy of the 8940 signed off as recieved by the New Orleans VARO on June 10th. My military health records also show that I was hospitalized for a week for "wound infection associated with severe headaches". This was four days after I was originally wounded. Obviously no one looked at my military records even though they said they did and we have proof that they received the 8940 form. We stated on the 8940 form that the VA doctor that did my original PTSD evaluation specifically stated "The veteran has lost the ability to work". They also never acknowledged receipt of the SSA disability in their decision even though we have proof we sent it and they received it.. We have asked them to reconsider the decisions before we file an NOD but I have little confidence they will do so.
  10. Clonazepam works well for me for anxiety. I take it before bed and in the morning as well. I carry xanax with me at all times but very rarely take it. I haven't found anything so far that helps with depression. Have tried Paxil, Celexa and Cymbalta to no avail. I see the shrink at the end of this month. My lack of sleep is beginning to become a problem again as well as frequent nightmares. I hope they can do something for that. I hate taking drugs but like most here have reached the point where I have little choice. Sure wish I could find something for the depression though.
  11. As usual, Pete is giving you good advice. Hire a lawyer or someone like Allsup to represent you. You will only have to pay them if you win. I got mine in 10 weeks using Allsup and it was based mainly on PTSD. A company like Allsup will review your information for free and will only take your case if they are almost certain you can win since they are investing their resources for nothing if you don't win.
  12. Sbrewer, I was approved for SSDI in 10 weeks and never had an exam from S.S. They based their decision on VA and other medical records. All of the medical records were fairly recent. I was using Allsup and they filled out all paper work from S.S. after consulting with me on the answers. So yes, it is possible to be approved without an exam.
  13. Joe, that is great. I got mine in 10 weeks and thought that was fast. You may have set a world's record! Congratulations.
  14. Shreveport does the same thing Pete. Like you, I would probably miss something if they didn't.
  15. 101airborne, you have asked some questions that are not easy for someone else to answer but I will give you some of my personal opinions and you are free to take them for what they are worth. Not knowing you, I don't know how your PTSD affects you personally. I do know there are no guarantees of TDIU from the VA and there are no guarantees of percentage increases. If you get TDIU, 35k or so is not a lot of money to raise a family on these days. If you are unable to work at all, it is a good lifeline though. I was awarded 70% for PTSD and SSDI just recently but I was able to work for many years even though I knew I had problems. I expect to be declared IU soon. I would trade both to be able to work again and I am 60 years old. Being on TDIU at age 25 and not being able to do any work your entire life will be no picnic. But if you are not capable of working at all then you probably don't have much choice. Personally, I would try school and work first before I gave up on the idea. Go into it with a positive attitude and tell yourself that "you can do it". If it doesn't work for you the other option is still on the table. If you go directly to TDIU, you lose your options to work. It will be a long life ahead for you in that case Regardless of what you decide or what path you may be forced to take, I wish you the best of luck and I appreciate your service to this great country. BO
  16. LLFLY, that is wonderful news. I am very happy for you. Hang around and help others!
  17. Pete is correct as usual in that they should tell you what the C&P's are for if you call them. Best of luck to you.
  18. Pete, I love your attitude, your tenacity, your knowledge of the process and your compassion for others on this board. You sound like a great guy with a wonderful family. Not to mention you are a fellow Texan. The heat around Smithville in south central Texas has just been stifiling this summer. We haven't had a drop of rain in weeks now. Wings, if that is your real picture, you don't look like "old folks". I look like old folks, but not you. Hope you are feeling better. I think travelling causes me as much stress as anything. The last thing I need travelling is to have an incident like you had. Sounds like you handled it well.
  19. I am 70% PTSD with the VA and 10% for shrapnel residuals. I have also applied for IU. I used Allsup to apply for SSDI and was approved in 10 weeks. Just received the approval on July 1st. SS based their decision strictly on previous doctor's reports and C&P's from the VA and they also retroed me back 1 year. I never saw a SS doctor or even spoke to anyone from SS. Allsup handled everything and did a great job for me. I will now send the SS decision to the VA and see if it helps my IU claim. Everything noted in my SS approval letter is service connected. Good luck to you Joe.
  20. bozoc

    100 P T

    Congratulations to you! It seems to me that if the medical evidence is there, then persistence is the key. I'm glad you hung in there.
  21. In May I received 70% for PTSD and 10% for shrapnel residuals in my head. First time I had been to the VA. They deferred a claim for headaches. They told me there was an inferred claim for TDIU since I wasn't working and the C&P said I had "lost the ability to work". They sent me a TDIU form which I filled out and sent in. They also told me to file a claim for tinnitus since the C&P said I had it but I did not file for it. I also did that. I filed a claim for SSDI on April 10 and it was approved on July 1. No exams. They just used VA C&P information and personal doctor reports. They also retroed me back for 1 year. Everything on the SS award is service connected. I will send this to my VSO on Monday and hopefully it will help with the TDIU.
  22. Calnight, I can sympathize with you. I see the shrink on a regular basis and take psych medicine and it has made a huge difference to my well being. However, I can still completely lose it now and then and I scare even myself when I do. We live way out in the country. I was walking my two large dogs down to the mailbox one afternoon a couple of months ago. The dogs are a Presa Canario and an American Bulldog. They are large and look very intimidating but are fully trained and have never hurt a fly. This huge guy who I have met before saw us and stopped at my gate and waited on us to get there. He doesn't live out here but he has land and cows just down the road. I have only been out here for two years but from stories I have been told by others this guy has been intimidating folks out this way for years. He is very large and physically imposing. When we got to the gate he got out of his truck. The first thing he said was if he ever saw my dogs around his place he would shoot them. I quickly told him he was talking about members of my family and if he ever harmed them in any way he might as well commit suicide because I would find him and kill him dead right where he was standing. There would be no discussion and no time for explanations. The bad thing about it was I was deadly serious. I then told him if anything ever happened to my dogs, whether he was involved or not, I would kill him. So it was in his best interest to look after my dogs like they were his own. I carry a 45 automatic in my back pocket when I'm out walking our place (45 acres). He started walking quickly back to his truck and reached in and picked something up. I thought to myself that here it comes. I had my hand in my back pocket and had taken the safety off my 45. He walked back around the truck and had a Walmart plastic bag in his hand. He handed it to me and said "I want you to have something". Inside the bag was a huge lot of brand new fishing lures. I looked at them and said thank you very much. He has never stopped again but he waves every time I see him and I wave back. I felt a little bad after he left but I wanted him to have no doubts whatsoever about leaving me and my family alone. I am afraid if I had't been receiving treatment I would have just shot him off the bat. So I guess my story is like yours. I have gotten somewhat better but I don't think I will ever be normal in many ways.
  23. Sounds like it is time for a little R&R! Congratulations to you Sgt Mac.
  24. Thanks Pete. And thanks for always having a kind word or a good piece of advice for everyone. BO
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